Sports

Pitcher Church ’05 Gunning For Pomona

Tom Church ’05 is one of those athletes who lives, sleeps, eats and breathes for his sport. As Captain of the Boys Varsity Baseball Team, Church’s passion and enthusiasm for the sport have been a driving force behind the Big Blue. This fall, Church has been carefully considering his many options for college. To gain a perspective on this process, The Phillipian met with Church to learn more about the recruitment experience from one of Andover’s top student-athletes. Have you made any final decisions on where you would like to go to college? “I went out and visited Pomona in California and I decided this past weekend that that’s where I’m going to apply early. It’s a smaller, Division III baseball school, which is what I’m interested in. It is sunny all year, it has nice grass and it is close to the beach. ” How are you looking to combine your athletic talents and your academic interests in college? “I wanted to play baseball, and that was really important to me in choosing a school. I could have applied to some bigger academic name schools, but my athletic interests limited me to smaller schools. When you start looking at Division I schools, the competition for admission and scholarships is more intense.” Can you describe the athletic recruitment process for a baseball player? “No one in my family had done anything with athletic recruitment before, so the whole process was really new to us. I had no idea what to expect in terms of where I could play talent wise. I went to a tournament two summers ago, and there was a scout program called Perfect Game. The program invites athletes to showcases around the country where scouts and coaches will analyze the athletes’ talents. Sometimes the program will organize different teams so scouts can watch the athletes play in a real game situation with some tough competition. There are coaches all around checking out the talent and it’s really intense! The scouts are there to watch athletes in a highly competitive game where they can show off their talents, and then they write up evaluations on the athletes and put them online. They put out a report that says what an athlete does well, how they can develop, and at what level they can expect to compete. Of course, you have to pay them to do it.” After looking at many different schools, what is your perspective of Division I athletic recruitment versus Division III? “Division I coaches are definitely more concerned with numbers. I can throw 83 mph, but they can find someone who can throw 95, so they aren’t immediately interested in me. Smaller Division three coaches need to sell their school more, compared to an Ivy League school where the school sells itself, so they will spend a lot more time talking with you and telling you about their program.” What are coaches looking for when they interview an athlete? “In a way the athletic admission process is more personal than the regular process of admission because coaches are really interested in getting to understand an athlete and the athlete’s goals. A coach wants to know if the athlete agrees with their coaching philosophies and also how the athlete’s talents would improve the team.” What are you most excited for in college athletics? “I am really excited to be around a whole lot of athletes who are really committed to baseball and who really want to work hard. A lot of times when athletes are younger, not everyone is willing to put a lot of effort into the sport. By college, you know those athletes who are on a team really want to be there. I am also excited to play year round.” Have you decided what you would like to study in college? “Pomona has a program that combines philosophy, economics, and politics. It’s a really fascinating combination of course, and after taking Economics this fall, it sounds really interesting. So that is my tentative plan.” Do you have any goals or plans for baseball after college? “Well, my dream would be to have the opportunity to play baseball in the Minor Leagues. I could travel the country, make a little bit of money, and play ball for a couple of years before returning to work.”